Conveyer.



PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906.

A. J. WEBSTER.

GONVEYBR.

APPLIUATIOH rum B302, 3291 3 SiiBB'fSSHEET I.

PATENTBD JAN. 30,1906.

A. J, WEBSTER.

GONVBYER.

KPPLIGATIDN FILED DEC. 2, 1801.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Jmwn z 1 0ii ncam PATENTED JAN. 30, 1906 A. J. WEBSTER.

CONVEYBR.

upmcu'xon rum] mm. 2. we?

B EETS-SHEET 3. 2

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A'IJFREIYJ. WEBS'IER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A.. JEFFREY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

corlvsvsn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

' Application filed December 2, 1897. Serial No. 680,539.

2"!) e61. who'nt it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J.Wses'rsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyors; and I do declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0 the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sufficient portion of conveyor mechanism to illustrate the manner of applying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 2: are? Fig. l and on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the conveyor-trough. Fig. 5 isa. face view of one of the flightson a still lar er scale. Fi 6 is a plan view of s. series of t 1e chainlin s and one of the flights. Fig. 7 is a side view of the same. Fig. 8 is 1; vertical section showing a slightly-modified construction.

The operative parts of the conveyor are supported upon a framework-which it is not necessary to describe in detail, inasmuch as it may be varied according as circumstances or preference may dictate. This framework is indicated as a. whole by A, it having at the ends chain-wheels B B oneof which is adapted to have power app ied to it from an engine or other motor. C indicates the chain which is mounted upon these wheels and by which power and motion are imparted to the devices which ell'ect the propelling of the ma terial along the conveyer.

Upon the framework above referred to there is supported a trough (indicated by D) and havin the side walls (1 l and the bottom walls of. 'l hesc are preferably formed of sheet metal, the side walls being fastened to the stringers a and the bottom walls d inclining downward toward the central line, where they ,are supported upon the bottom stringer a.

The chain 0 is arranged toinovc centrally through this trough i). It is constructed as follows: It is formed of alternate sin le-bar and doublebar links 0 c. The sing ebar link 0 is formed, as shown, with pintlc-apertures c at the ends and with an intermediate transverse aperture c. The double-bar link 0' is formed of two side bars 0 0. These bars overlap the ends of the single-bar links 0, end they are connected thereto by the pintles F. Each pintlc is formed with a web f, which en gages in a. recess formed at the side of the pintle-apcrture in the side bar c, and after the pintle has been inserted and riveted or other wise fastened it is locked b its web f to the double-bar link so as to be incapable of rotation relatively thereto. The pintlc spertures c in the single-bar link are formed so as to fit withtlie utmost nicety the pintles F, and in this way sand, grit, and form n matsriels are excluded from the journa part of the wearing-surface of the pintle.

B? having more or less of the pintle relative y flattened or web-like, as at f, and fittingit into the corres ondingly-shsped pintloseat in the link c l prevent it from being worn or out in the relatively short apertures of the side bars 0 c and compel the rockin and bearing to take effect along the enlarged cylindrical wearing-surfaces at the central part of the pintle. 1

G indicates the flight. As shown, it is formed with an upper part and a lower 'part adapted to project from the chain-one upward and the other downward and in order to have the flight held properly by the tron 11 so as to prevent torsion upon either the flig t or chain I have the workin edges of the flight converge or incline tower the central line'to correspond with the bottom walls of the trough, and the upper ed es of the flight can be similarly shape so t 1st it can operate along its return run in an upper trough. Moreover, by havin the ed es of the ill ht and the bottoms of t e troug s shaped in t '3 way the material is carried toward the central line and )revcntcd from accumulating in the corners, t his bcin however, an old and wellknown feature 0 construction and arrangement, broadly considered.

The chain being made of straight. steel or iron bars, (in order to have the links exceed; ingly strong,) it is dillicult to form thereon attocluuenblugs for securing the flight. I provide an attachment, such as herein shown at II. It is formed with a tubular socket part it, having an aperture in which the sin gift-bill link 1; can be snugly fitted and has laterally-projecting lugs It, by which it is riveted to the flight. It is secured to the link 0 by means of a bolt or pin l, for which an apersoc lure e i [owned in the link and in the soeket parl l1 ol the altaelnnenl.

The aperture in the [light is of a size and hape to aeenralelv lit tlle link e. to whieh it i :i[ta"l|e l.alnl thi link isol'a size and shape to permil the [light to he readily passed over it lougilmlinallv to the plaee ol nlltlt'lltlltlll. l. hown in [I drawings. the link 1' is o[' unil'orln l7.t and shape lrom end to end. This (\Illsll'ltl'llllll ol' the ights and of the llight-earrying links permits ol eaeh of these parts [wing made integral. it also permits ol' the eas removal and replacing ol' an v [light. it heing neeessarv only to uneouple the ehain at one of the joints of the [light-earryin link. when the [light may he removed or put in plaee without ['urtherse mration of parts. lleretol'ore it has been (ltstolnnl to make either the [lightearrying link ol two or more separahle parts and to provide means [or seeuring sueh parts together with the [light hetween or upon them or else to make the [light of two or more separahle parts adapted to he seeured together, so as to enihraoe the tlight' earr ving link to whieh it is thus seeured. 'lhe eonstruetion \vhieh l have invented makes not only a more simple eonstruetion. hut one whieh is stronger. in that hoth the [lights and the [light-earrying links are ofintegral eonstruetion.

lleretolore it. has heen l'llSl0ll1tll' to guide and support [lights of this eharaeter h so eonstrueting them that they eould engage at their ends with the trough or with gnideways along the sides thereof. llillieulty is experieneed with eonstruetions of that eharaeter when a single ehain is used. owing to the |iahilitv of the [lights to he-eraniptal at one or hoth ends either when twisted under the st am of the load or when shaken, 'olted, or otherwise crowded toward one side or the other. 1 have ohviated this by employing a single eentral guide at the working edge of the [light adapted to engage with a. single guide-iron along the center of the trough. As shown. this consists of a lug .l. whieh is formed with a groove or eoneave way It has a llange or lip j. provided with apertures h v whieh it. ran he riveted to the [light. The guide part proper. is elongated so as to irovide a long hearing whieh will hold the [light from twisting and keep it steadil v in line. On the hottom ol the trough there is seeured a guide-strip Ii. whose outline in seetion corres worlds with that ol the guide-pieeefi". it wil also he ohserved that the guide eon slitntes a support arranged to hold the [lights and ehain out of wearing eontaet with the:

trough. thus enahling me to use ['or the side and hottom walls of the trough much lighter material than run be employed when the [lights run in slidiugand wearing engagement tln-rewith. as is now ordinarily the eustom. When this feat ure of my invention is applied to a eonveyer, the end ess e-arr ing memher ol'whieh is a ingle ehaiu. l [ind lhat the host re ults are set-ured when a ingle support i employed and arranged. a shown in the drawings that is. in th hottoniol'the trough and dileet l v helow the ehain. llowever. 1 his l'eature ol the invention is not limited to the partieular arrangement r ninnher ot sup ports whieh have [he lunelion of supporting the moving part ol' the eonvever out of slid iug engagement with the trough.

\l hen the eonve \'er is in mot ion. the guidepieees sueeessivel v engage-with and ride along on the guide-strips h. and the [lights are properly held therel the [lights normally moving toward the left as seen in Figs. 1 and l. When duplex [lights are employed. sueh as nown that is to say. with two working edges'one [or the lower trough and one for the upper. eaeh edge is provided with a guide of the eharaeter deserihed. the upper one in the drawings heing indieated hv .I, it heing similar to that deserihed at 'l.

ln struetures where hot one trough i roe pl oyed, hut. where it is desired to support l-e idle run ol' the eonve ver. a guide [or the [lights ean he used. sueh as sho' o at h. simi- "lar to that at K. hut supported independently of a trough. In such ease the {light ean he. of modilied shape, if the edge whieh extends downward on the upper run is not used for conveying purposes.

As shown. the hottom edge ol the [light is cut out or provided with a reeess at its wider eentral part. and the guide-hloek is secured adjaeent thereto. so that the guide proper at j will register with the recess or rut-away portion on the edge of [he tlight.

I am aware of the fact thatehnins with [lights have been heretofore made h easting the [light integrall with the links of the ehain and also that eonveyers have heen made hv securing the [lights at their edges to the chains: hut when the eonve ver is made as herein provided light relativelv thin sheets of metal ean he employed, and lirm fastening to the chain can he provided hv sueh attachments as at ll. \vhieh hraee the sheet metal and distrihute the strain-[ram the ehain. and a strong support for the edge of the [light can he provided h v sueh attaehment. as at- J. which is so arranged as to take the thrustoil' from the edge of the sheet metal, this supmrt, as well as the attaehment ll. hoth heing 1n the eentral longitudinal planes of the conveyer, and hetween the ends of the tlights. and as hoth of the attaehments are on the Treat-side of the [light the front [ares of it can he left eopiparatively smooth and unohst rneted for engagement with any of the material that is being eonve ved.

What I claim is-- I. In a. conveyer. the eomhination with the chain, of the [lights formed of sheet, metal seoured to the ehain and extending hoth above 'andbelow the chain, guides secured'to the 7 guides carried by the outer edges of the flights, and substantially in the longitudinal plane of the chain, and a stationary guide with which the flight-guides engage;i subsgintially as set forth. T

2.-- a conveyor, the combination of a chain, a series of flights secured thereto, ghts and arranged in substantially the longitudinal plane of the chain, and ,a stationary supportin do with the upper surface of which said 5: 1agndes engage arranged in a plane different om that in'which t e chain moves, the said guides being arranged to support the flights from s'lidi'ngengagement with the trough,

v substaiitially as set forth.

flights normally ten 3. In a conveyer, the combination of a trou h, an endless chain aseries of flights secure to the chain, he ain being above the working edge of the flights, and the chain and h ress tower (tihe better? of the tro an a supportan ar with whic the flights on age, said bar being arranged-in substantia y the vertical plane of the chain and projecting above the top ofthe trough-bottom, substantially as set forth. a

4. The-combination of a tron h, the chain arranged to move adjacent to m tro h, a' series of flights rigidly connected to an car ried by the chain, a series of guides secured to the working edges of the his and a stationary gui e for supporting" edi'ghts above the bottom of-the tro face of which the t-goid chain bei' so oonnectedwith engage the fllghts as to ,be situate above the stationary supportingn substantia of the chain, mi

guidefi substentially as set forth. 5

he combination bf a trough, a stationary 'de arranged in the bottom of the troug and projecting above the lower portion thereof, the chain arranged to move adjacent tojthe trough, and a series of H hts carried by the chain, the working edges 0 the flightsbeing constructed to engage with the stationary lguide in the bottom of the trough,

y as set forth. 6. In a conve er, the combination of s trough having si e walls, and a bottom wall,

- chain and arm having an upwardly-extending convex beartoward'the tiring under the action of;

h with the upper suring-face adapted to maintain in conjunction with the trough-bottom an unbroken surface for supportin the material and arranged to sustain the ights out of wearin contact with the trough-bottom, substantially as set forth.

8. In a conve er, the combination of a trou h having si e and bottom walls formed of s eet metal, and a central guiding and weight-supporting bar supported independent y bfthe walls of the trough and arranged between sections of the bottom of the trough, substantially as set forth.

I 9. In a conveyor, the combination with a trough, of an endless moving carrier member, and flights secured thereto and arranged transversely to the carrier member and havmg at their lower edges shoe-like supports arranged to su port the fli his and carrier memher and hol the lower e ges of the flights out of scraping contact with the trough, substantially as set forth.

10. In a conveyor, the combination with the trough for supporting the material, of a stations su ortin uide situated along the cent l loiigtudiri afiines of the trough, a single chain in the center longitudinally, of the trough and above the guide, and the flights secured to said single chain, each flight having .an elon ated guide at its center transversel an arranged to rest upon the upper s ace of the central supportingtrough guide, substantially as set forth.

411. In a conveye'r, the combination with the trough having a stationary guide on its central longitudinal line, the movable flight,

and the chain secured to said flight, of the gfilldfi secured centrally to the lower edge of t e flight and "having the elongated guide part 1" adapted to engage with the troughguide, substagtially as set forth.

12. In a c nveyer, the combination of a chain having alternate double-bar links 0 and single-bar links c, of the hts, and the ht attachments Hsecured tot e single-bar lin each formed separately from its linlt with a tubular socket it throu h which the link is passed, the bolt for astening the socket to the bar, and each attachment fastoned to its flight, substantially as set forth. 13. In a conve er, the combination with the chain, of the ht' which widens from its ends toward its center and having a recess cut out of its lower edge and a guide-block secured to said lower edge and having an elongated guide with 'a. passe e re tering with the recess on the edge of the fiig t, subetantially as set forth.

14." In a conve er, the combination of the "flight or materia transporting device, the separately-formed attachment oined to the glitter securing it to the chain, the link C opted to be secured to the said attachment link c having the side are c, c,.with pintleand formed with the intle-aperture c, the.

apertures near the ends, and the pintle F having the central cylindrical rocking bearingsurl'aeo within the pintle-aperture at c in the link c and having the flattened or web-like parts fitting to the correspondingly-shaped pintle such as in the side bars 0, 0", and said pintle at the ends being upset or riveted, whereby the material transported b the conveycr is Lprevented from entering t e pintle-.

seats an the pintle is compelled to rock in the central link-bar (J, substantially as set forth. 4 i

15. in a conveyor, the combination of flights having apertures through their central portions, and a chain formed of articulated inks, comprising ilightcarrying links ofa size and shape to fit the said apertures in the flights, and permit the flights to be )asse'd l0ngitudinally over the same from the ends of the links to the places of-thc'attachment of the flights thereto, substantial] Y as set forth.

16. In a conveyor, the comliination of a chain formed of articulated links, comprising flight-carrying links 0 formed of bars of uniform size and sha e from end to end, and flights arranged to e secured to such links 0, and having, apertures through their central portions of a size and shape to closely fit the said bars, substantially as set forth.

1?. in a conveyor, the combination with the fli hts, each narrowing from the center toward the ends transversely, and formed of relatively thin metal, and having an aperture l at the center, of a chain passing through the said central aperture, an attachment secured to each flight and secured to the chain, and supporting attachments for the flight secured to it at points between its ends, and in the vertical central lon itudinal lanes of the conveyer, substantia ly as set orth.

18. The combination with the flightand the chain passing centrally throu h the fli ht, of the attachment J secured to t e rear side of the' fiightand adapted to support it against edge thrust, and the attachment H secured to the rear side of the flight and secured to the chain, substantiall as set iorth.

19. In a conveyer, the com ination of a chain, a series of transversely-arranged flights secured thereto, a stationarysupporting-guide arran ed adjacent to and parallel with the path iollowed b the chain, and guides secured to the flig ts andarranged to enga c with the said stationary su porting-gui e, the guides carried by the-flig ts being elongated in a direction parallel with the chain and having on agement with the stationary ide that tends to prevent twisting of the i hts, substantially as set forth.

n testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED J. WEBSTER.

Witnesses F. E. CoL'roN,

A. D. SHAW. 

